I converted an AVI video using the modified verison you posted for ubuntu. For some reason I keep getting the error "An error has occured attempting to play media".

My phone has v4.3.0.127

I also have problems with some AVI and WMV files (mainly WMV) when trying to onvert them, and I've never been able to figure out what's wrong. I can't even tell if it's the video or audio parts causing the problem, I've tried all sorts of things.

These same videos worked fine on my old 8100 (OS 4.2.0.xx), but not the 8320 (OS 4.2.2.xxx). Other types of files work fine, though - I've been able to transcode MOV, FLV, MPG, etc. without any problems at all; it's just those darm AVI/WMV encapsulated files. :(

I also have problems with some AVI and WMV files (mainly WMV) when trying to onvert them, and I've never been able to figure out what's wrong. I can't even tell if it's the video or audio parts causing the problem, I've tried all sorts of things.

These same videos worked fine on my old 8100 (OS 4.2.0.xx), but not the 8320 (OS 4.2.2.xxx). Other types of files work fine, though - I've been able to transcode MOV, FLV, MPG, etc. without any problems at all; it's just those darm AVI/WMV encapsulated files. :(

Blast. I'll try some transcoding foo with it. It could also be the firmware, as I upgraded it last week (from 4.2.2.365). I'm going to try downgrading it and give it a shot. For some reason I can't get media manager to detect it anymore since the upgrade.

Blast. I'll try some transcoding foo with it. It could also be the firmware, as I upgraded it last week (from 4.2.2.365). I'm going to try downgrading it and give it a shot. For some reason I can't get media manager to detect it anymore since the upgrade.

On thing I've been meaning to try but haven't gotten around to - try taking one of the offending AVI/WMV videos and transcoding it with a Windows tool that will make it play right on the BlackBerry. Then, take that transcoded file and compare it's internals (using ffmpeg, perhaps?) against the internals of a file created by mencoder that *doesn't* work, and see what it is that's the difference.

Once we figure out what it is exactly the newer BB's don't like, I'm sure it'll be trivial to find some switch or option in mencoder to fix it. (well, at least I hope it would be )

On thing I've been meaning to try but haven't gotten around to - try taking one of the offending AVI/WMV videos and transcoding it with a Windows tool that will make it play right on the BlackBerry. Then, take that transcoded file and compare it's internals (using ffmpeg, perhaps?) against the internals of a file created by mencoder that *doesn't* work, and see what it is that's the difference.

Once we figure out what it is exactly the newer BB's don't like, I'm sure it'll be trivial to find some switch or option in mencoder to fix it. (well, at least I hope it would be )

I downgraded my phone to sprint firmware, and media manager detected it! I converted the video I've been trying to get working with it. As soon as I finish upgrading the phones firmware (with sprint this time), I'll hop back into linux and check the difference in codecs.

For some reason doing a usb passthrough to virtualbox doesn't work for the desktop manager :/

OK to clarify, this is the video that the Windows based converter created that plays OK on your BB device?

EDIT: great news, I was able to simply use ffmpeg and it's defaults to create a MP4 container out of 4 test videos that were giving me a problem, and they all play 100% fine on my BB. A sample bit of output looks like:

Things need to be tuned up to decrease the artifacts (increase the quality) in the video stream, but it's at least a starting point to make it work. I haven't tried mencoder yet, I may not even bother if ffmpeg can do the job for me.

EDIT: great news, I was able to simply use ffmpeg and it's defaults to create a MP4 container out of 4 test videos that were giving me a problem, and they all play 100% fine on my BB. A sample bit of output looks like:

Things need to be tuned up to decrease the artifacts (increase the quality) in the video stream, but it's at least a starting point to make it work. I haven't tried mencoder yet, I may not even bother if ffmpeg can do the job for me.

Nothing so complicated, I just used all the defaults - 'ffmpeg -i <foo>.wmv foo.mp4' and that was it, it just worked. (Fedora 9 with the Livna/RPMForge ffpmeg used) I haven't gotten time yet to go playing with it further, but I guess the BB device is handling the 320x240 files on it's own and downscaling at runtime (which would explain why they look pixel-blocky).

Nothing so complicated, I just used all the defaults - 'ffmpeg -i <foo>.wmv foo.mp4' and that was it, it just worked. (Fedora 9 with the Livna/RPMForge ffpmeg used) I haven't gotten time yet to go playing with it further, but I guess the BB device is handling the 320x240 files on it's own and downscaling at runtime (which would explain why they look pixel-blocky).